


Oliver's Second Chance

by KarryBeta



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Book of Destiny, Challenge Entry, F/M, lauriver - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 11:15:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21493393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KarryBeta/pseuds/KarryBeta
Summary: When the Monitor comes to Oliver Queen with a unique offer, the Green Arrow is faced with a dilemma of what his life could have been.
Relationships: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen
Comments: 5
Kudos: 30





	Oliver's Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> While yes, I have watched all episode of Arrow (bar one), my memory of those episodes are foggy at best, and wiki can only provide so much information, so if I get anything wrong or miss something, I apologise for those die hard fans. This is for fun and should be taken as so. Also, people who know me know I detest Felicity Smoak so any Felicity or even Olicity lovers, please look away now for your own protection… although I do give her a good subplot here.
> 
> Our current challenge prompt: Simply take an ending of any Arrowverse episode and rewrite it to make sure Monara (Kara/Mon), SnowAllen/FrostAllen (Caitlin/Barry), or Karry (Kara/Barry) get together. This challenge ends at the beginning of January 2020 so there is time if you want to write your own.

Oliver Queen sat in his apartment, alone. Felicity had some work-thing going on and he wasn't sure what he was doing as the Green Arrow as of this moment. He'd been through so much recently – hadn't he always? But this time it felt more… extreme; like he was being tested.

Maybe he was.

He had been Inmate 4587, been subjected to torture and mental manipulation and finally freed on a technicality. Then the question of how he could continue his life was answered by Dinah, indoctoring the Green Arrow into CCPD. His life was finally coming back on track, he even determined to get his son home permanently, but then he had woken up as the Flash and everything had changed. In trying to bring some normality to his upturned life though, had made a deal with a cosmic being known as the Monitor to save Barry Allen and Kara Danvers from death; but what that deal was, or when the Monitor would return to cash it in was unknown. It could be today, or fifty years from now. He tried not to think of it.

His cell rang, waking him from his almost-daydreaming state, and he went to answer it.

"Hey hon," it was Felicity; Oliver smiled. "So, there's been a thing a work – nothing to worry about, although it might be life-threatening as Earth-2 Laurel is involved, and you have to forget I said that – anyway, I probably won't be home 'til much later. You okay?"

"Urm," Oliver didn't know what to say. Felicity was working with Earth-2 Laurel, who was the opposite of their Laurel, and getting herself into danger because of it. He wanted her home; he wanted her safe, but Felicity was a wildcard he had long-since learned he couldn't control. "I'm good, just thinking. You be safe."

"Thinking? What about?" Felicity asked.

"Well the Mon –"

"Frack!" Felicity cut him off with her own personal swear, Oliver sitting up in the chair now, concerned. "Sorry love, I've got to go. I'll be back soon." And with that she had disconnected; Oliver sighed, standing now as he paced the room, and put his cell back in his pocket.

He ran a hand through his short hair in worry. Should he go out and track her down, keep her safe? But he was technically a police officer now and if she was doing anything untoward – and let's face it, with Black Siren involved, it likely was – he could be in some serious trouble. But if he didn't and Felicity was hurt…?

He hated that he'd brought her into this life.

"It looks like you could do with a timeout," Oliver jumped at the familiar voice as he turned to see the familiar dark-skinned man in the, quite frankly, ridiculous purple outfit. But he didn't question the cosmic entity known as the Monitor as he groaned instead.

"Is it time already?" Oliver had to asked. "Are you calling in that debt?"

"No," the Monitor stated simply, a wry smile on his face which worried Oliver. "Your actions the other day were unpredictable. Heroic. Selfless, even. I never predicted you would trade your life for that of Supergirl and The Flash, so I was thinking… what else would Oliver Queen do, selflessly, to right more wrongs?" as Oliver raised an eyebrow at this, the Monitor raised his arm and a familiar thickly bound book appeared in his hand.

Oliver took a step back, shocked.

"I destroyed that," he pointed out, pointing to the book.

"The Book of Destiny, able to rewrite…" the Monitor started.

"Yeah, I know the story," Oliver cut off the Monitor, who paused at this. "How did that survive?"

"It's more powerful that I let you know, Mr. Queen – it's able to rewrite reality, after all. It let you think it was destroyed and your world restored; but in reality, it survived, because it should," the Monitor explained.

"And my world…?" Oliver question. Earth-1, his universe, had been altered by this book and it was only thanks to Kara's cousin and it's supposed destruction that things had returned to normal. Or normal as Oliver was used to it.

"Your world is safe. For now," the Monitor nodded.

"Why are you here?" Oliver had to ask now. "And why bring that book?"

"Because, Oliver Queen, I have to know if you are the right person to trust when the time comes. You showed you were selfless for your friends, but can you be selfless for your universe?" the Monitor asked cryptically.

"I thought we solved that one…" Oliver rolled his eyes.

"Take it," the Monitor ignored Oliver as he thrust the book into the man's arms, he unable to say no as he felt the weight of the book himself.

"I can't even read this thing!" Oliver pointed out as the Monitor took a step back.

"You don't need to," the Monitor smirked again as Oliver sighed, putting the book down on the coffee table with a groan, about to turn and face the Monitor once more, but the cosmic being had gone and Oliver was alone again.

His cell binged at that moment and he instinctively went to go for it, seeing the text on the screen-

'_All fine. We're good. Be home soon. F xxx'_

Felicity was good then, that was a relief.

Oliver moved back to the couch, slipping his cell into his pocket as he did so and sat down, his eyes on the book. What exactly did the Monitor want him to do? Rewrite reality for what cause? How was this a test?

He reached forward and took the book, opening to the first page to find it blank.

"Okay…" he sighed as he turned the pages, finding the next one blank, and the next. He flipped through at least twenty blank pages before he chuckled. "This has got to be a prank," he stated to himself, about to thrust the book back on the table, thinking of ordering some food in for when Felicity got back, but something stopped him and, as he looked back at the pages, he saw a story. It wasn't written on the pages, but seemed to be playing out in his head, and he realized he could make it a reality…

With just one word he could stop his father getting on the Queen's Gambit; could save himself and Sara from torture, from future vigilantism, and expose Malcolm Merlyn's plans on the conspired sinking. His relationship with Sara would be exposed but with Tommy welcomed into the Queen household and the drama that ensued, Laurel would eventually forgive Oliver, even if their relationship was over. And Robert would give Queen Consolidates to his son, who would mature out of his playboy ways, take the company world-wide and ensure the future of his family.

Even Felicity would have a better life, going on to meet and marry Rory Regan, building Smoak Tech from the ground up, and becoming Queen Consolidates' biggest rival. Laurel and Tommy would have gotten together too, while Sara would live a proud life with a wife of her own and a father who never died at the hand of a thug like Ricardo Diaz; in fact, Quentin and Dinah Lance would never have split up, with Sara never having initially died.

Oliver gasped as he dropped the book into his lap, blinking as he tried to rid the images of a life he could lead. Was this the test? It did look like a nice life…

But what of Barry? What of Thea, Dinah and Rene? He hadn't seen the lives of the people he held so dear; and as if he knew as he questioned it, he realized that without the Green Arrow, Thea would never have met Roy and without Olly ever leaving, she would have turned to drugs, regardless… and who knows from there. Dinah would have found revenge on her boyfriend's murder and been jailed for it; while Rene wouldn't have been inspired by the Green Arrow and would have taken his own life when separated from his daughter.

Even Diggle would never have got the courage to date Lyla; he would have never had children or resolved the fate of his brother, and Barry…

Barry Allen would have been killed in Starling without the help of Team Arrow and Central City would never have had the Flash; millions more lives would be affected as through one choice, Oliver had doomed the world to darkness, hero-less.

"That was the test?" Oliver asked aloud, this time thrusting the book forward in horror, back onto the coffee table as he stood. "To change my fate and the fate of everyone? My path might not have been easy, but I'd tread it all the same," he stated defiantly, expecting the Monitor to show up now he'd rejected the book.

The room, however, remained empty as Oliver stood in silence, his eyes still drawn to the book.

It wasn't the only choice.

"No," he stated, forcing himself to move to the kitchen area now, busying his hands with making coffee. But his mind was racing. His concern for Felicity had returned and he couldn't help thinking she wasn't out of danger so long as she hung around with Black Siren…. so long as she was married to him.

His eyes went to the book as his mind ran back; back in time to the moment everything changed. When his Laurel had been killed at the hands of Damien Darkh.

If that could be changed…?

A new determination overcame him as he put down the mugs and moved back to the couch, grabbing the book and now knowing what he had to do as his mind went back to that fateful day.

_He had his arrow pointed at Damien Darkh. The very arrow Damien would use to stab Laurel. But this time Oliver didn't fire it – instead, he lowered the quiver, surprising Damien. But Damien still had his powers, yet Oliver knew what to do._

_He turned to Laurel. "Run," he stated; the tone in his voice, the look in his eyes enough to convince her turn; but Damien's men were waiting, and so were Thea and Diggle._

"_I will still kill one of the Lance sisters!" Damien mocked as he moved forward, about to chase after Laurel but now Oliver used his arrow; the magician distracted enough not to see it coming as it pierced his shoulder, sending him into momentary shock. It was all Oliver needed to get his team out of there, however, and safe._

Back in the present, Oliver gasped as he returned to his current reality. For a moment, everything seemed the same, but then suddenly the apartment changed until he didn't recognise the place – it was larger and more personable. He knew he was no longer in the same building.

And, just as soon as the location changed, so did his memories catch up with him, hitting him as a new reality to hold.

Slowly, he placed the book back on the coffee table as the new memories washed over him-

Sara had 'died' in Laurel place, but it had been a trick, thanks to a remorseful Malcolm Merlyn whom had fooled Oliver into thinking he'd died years before. It was enough to convince Damien though as events with the magician played out the same – Damien's nuclear plans, his wife's death, followed by his own death to rally the people of Star City. In fact, everything had played out the same after that: Adrian Chase's killer obsession with Oliver; Cayden James and Ricardo Diaz; Quentin's death; and of course, the recent events with the Monitor.

Only Oliver had never gone to jail.

Laurel had protected him from his cell at Slabside. Laurel, whom his relationship with had only deepened after Damien Darkh, who had smiled at him ever since, who had said yes to becoming his wife hours before her own father's death at the hands of Ricard Diaz. Laurel, who's current mission was to save her Earth-2 doppelganger from herself.

Oliver stood now as he went to check his cell. He had no messages from Felicity anymore, but he should have expected that. She was safe in Opal City with her husband, Raymond Palmer, both running Palmer Tech to great efficiency. She and Oliver had broken up mutually after her life had been threatened by Anarky and she couldn't handle the pressure, but upon finding out Ray was alive and realizing her love for him, the pair had had a whirlwind romance and marriage – although that hadn't stopped her from her vigilante/hacktivism, as he worked closely with Ray's alter-ego, The ATOM, in Opal.

Oliver smiled as it all came back to him, shaking his head pleasantly as his eyes caught a photo of himself, Thea, Felicity, Sara, Diggle and Laurel he had kept for posterity on the mantlepiece.

His cell buzzed in his hand and he looked to see it was Laurel.

"Hiya hon," Oliver stated.

"You're not going to believe this!" Laurel stated on the other end as Oliver raised his eyebrow. "Earth-2 me, Black Siren, she's working with another archer from her world…"

"Another archer? How did they get over here?" Oliver knew that Zoom had originally brought Black Siren to this Earth to help fight the Flash but didn't know of any other archers that had come with them.

"It seems Reverb of Earth-2 had a girlfriend with the same powers. Gypsy-something," Laurel stated.

"Oh, another one," Oliver rolled his eyes at this. "I'm guessing helping your double isn't going so good…?"

"Well, I thought I'd gotten through to her until this other archer turned up," Laurel stated, sounding annoyed. "I could do with my Green Arrow's help on this one."

"Tell me your location and I'll be right there," Oliver stated, as Laurel did just that.

"Better bring Dinah too. Could use her power on this one," Laurel stated; the Gray Canary having the Canary Cry power, while she didn't.

"On it," Oliver hung up his phone and was about to head out but stopped when the familiar figure of the Monitor appeared before him.

"All that power," the Monitor stated, looking confused, "all those possibilities… and you save one life which isn't your own."

"You said I was selfless," Oliver shrugged. While the original reality was still in his head, it was fading quickly. He guessed after a while he wouldn't even remember Laurel's death, his marriage to Felicity or even this second chance the Monitor had just given him.

"You impress me, Mr. Queen," the Monitor nodded. "But you cannot run away from your debt."

"I know," Oliver folded his arms. "I'm a man of my words."

The Monitor moved to the coffee table, picking up the book and Oliver paused for a second.

"You're not…?" he tried to find the words. "You're not going to undo what I've done, are you?"

"No," the Monitor stated simply. "Laurel Lance's death was never in the cosmic design, but on the scale of good and evil, it never truly mattered one way or the other. She can live. Her Earth-2 doppelganger however…" he left this sentence to hang as Oliver bit his lip; his Laurel had worked her butt off to redeem her double since promising her father to do so on his deathbed. It would be a shame to let this final promise be ab empty one.

"I'm not going to remember this though, am I?" Oliver finally voiced.

"Soon the memory of your changes will indeed fade. You won't remember me being here now; and your last memory of this book," he held up the book to show Oliver, "will be its destruction. As rightfully so. Now, I think you better go – your destiny awaits."

Oliver groaned at this wording, but the Monitor subsequently vanished, leaving Oliver with nothing else to do but head out to Laurel's location, grabbing his Green Arrow outfit along the way.

He'd messaged Dinah to meet him with Laurel, and when the pair got there, he was pleasantly surprised to see Black Canary holding her own against the new archer, who was dressed in robes reminiscent of Malcolm Merlyn when he'd been he'd Dark Archer.

Diggle and Rene were in battle with Black Siren, which was a feat given her Canary Cry, but with the Green Arrow and Grey Canary's appearance, the tables had turned and soon Oliver had his archer opponent pinned to the ground while Laurel had managed to knock her double out after she'd been distracted by Dinah's own Canary Cry.

"You don't scare me, Green Arrow," the new Dark Archer mocked as Oliver rolled his eyes, reaching up to remove the man's mask, fully expecting Earth-2's Malcolm Merlyn to be underneath the outfit.

"You're no match for me…" Oliver stated but stopped as the man's face came into view. "Tommy…?"

Maybe they could redeem this Tommy too, Oliver thought, still in shock.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all liked. Please comment or leave a Kudos to show your appreciation.
> 
> Karry Beta out!


End file.
